花よりだんご

hana yori dango

The person to whom [the gift] is directed prefers practical gain to aesthetics.

The bus screeched to a stop, and I hopped off it hurriedly. The same guy from two days ago had been there again, and he was still staring at me. Searching the bus stop for Ochako, I grinned when I saw a brunette head among the crowd.

"O-Ocha-chan!" I called, weaving my way over. "G-good morning - oh!" I paused, seeing not only Ochako, but Izuku and Tenya as well. "Uh, hey guys. S-since when do y-you c-come here?"

Tenya saluted me, glasses shining. "Izuku has recently expressed his fears that the villains would target you outside of school in retaliation for yesterday's events. We are here to escort you to Yuuei Academy safely-"

Ochako giggled, stepping in front of Tenya and interrupting his speech. "We're all walking to school together for safety," she said shortly.

"O-Okay," I agreed, surprised. I looked to Izuku with wide eyes. He was smiling fairly proudly, staring off into the distance. I swear his eyes were sparkling. "I-Izukun?"

Izuku jolted. "H-huh? Sorry, what is it, Ichigo?" He glanced down at me.

"Hmph," I puffed out my cheeks, crossing my arms. "I w-wanted to ask if y-you were okay, b-but w-whatever…" I pouted sullenly.

"N-No!" Izuku waved his hands frantically, thinking I was actually upset. "I didn't mean to offend you - I was just thinking - I'msosorrypleaseforgiveme!" As he rushed through his words, I had to struggle to keep a straight face. He actually thought I was serious?

Ochako broke down first, bursting into laughter. That broke the dam for me as well, and soon we were both leaning on each other, giggling until there were tears in our eyes.

Izuku was still confused, but now he was concerned as well. "Ochako? Ichigo?"

"I believe," Tenya began, pushing up his glasses. "That Ichigo was employing the use of 'sarcasm'." He delivered the line so seriously that Ochako and I broke down all over again.

Izuku blushed. "Oh," he said in a small voice. Ochako pat him on the shoulder heavily, unable to speak. I wiped the tears from my eyes, gasping for air as well.

"Let us begin walking to school!" Tenya said enthusiastically, exaggeratedly miming walking down the street.

Ochako nodded, still smiling. "Right! Let's go!" Behind her, I grinned as well, automatically reaching up to adjust my scarf. My hands found nothing. My smile fell for a moment, before I noticed Izuku glancing at me, and I pasted a happy expression on my face. Fake it 'til you make it, I told myself with determination, ignoring the all consuming sense of loss in my gut.

As soon as I walked through the classroom doors, I was ambushed by our classmates. Mina Ashido, Denki Kaminari, and Hanta Sero, were almost always together, and getting into trouble. As soon as they saw me, they started over, smiling widely and talking up a storm. I mentally dubbed them the "Terror Trio," both for their insane antics and how their loudness absolutely terrified me.

"Hey Kurosaki! Good to see you here!" Kaminari said first.

"Yeah," Sero agreed, appearing beside me. He leaned over, emphasizing my shortness. I leaned away from him. "Are you feeling better? I heard you were in the hospital for a whole day."

Ashido walked up to my other side, forcing me to step backwards and out the doorway again. "That had to suck! I've been in the hospital before, it's soo boring!"

"Y-yeah, i-i-it is," I stammered, wondering if they'd be offended if I slammed the door shut in their faces and ran away.

Tenya took care of the problem for me. "It is time for class to begin!" He yelled, running to the podium at the head of the classroom. "Please stop talking and get into your seats!" Using this as an excuse, I muttered an apology and darted to my seat.

Yaoyorozu waved at me from her chair, directly behind me. "Good morning, Kurosaki," she greeted cheerily.

"M-morning, Yaoyorozu!" I squeaked, face turning red. "I-I didn't get th-the ch-chance to ask you y-yesterday, b-but," I inhaled deeply. "PleasecallmeIchigo!" My blush became brighter as I realized I had repeated my mistake from the first day of school, speaking so quickly I wasn't understandable.

Yaoyorozu decoded my incoherent request quickly. I was so lucky that all of my friends were socially adept, unlike me. "Of course, Ichigo," she agreed. "Please call me Momo, as well."

I grinned happily. "Alright, Momo!" I turned back around in my seat just as Mister Aizawa walked through the door. The bandage from yesterday was gone, so he walked in looking entirely unaffected.

"Morning, everyone," Mister Aizawa droned, eyes lazily scanning the class.

Everyone responded in unison. "Good morning, Mister Aizawa!" Tenya had trained us well.

Mister Aizawa grunted in acknowledgement. I covered my mouth to hide my giggles. "I didn't make this announcement yesterday because someone was absent," I stopped laughing as everyone turned to glance at me. "The Yuuei Sports Festival starts soon. As you know, joining a famous hero agency can help you gain a headstart on job experience and popularity. The Yuuei Festival is a scouting opportunity for every major agency in the books - it's not optional for any would-be hero. You get one shot a year, three in a lifetime," the entire class tensed and broke out into muttering at Mister Aizawa's introduction. Remembering the media coverage done of competition myself, I shuddered. This would mean being on national - no, international - broadcasting. "You have two weeks to train and prepare. This could determine the rest of your careers, be ready."

"Yes, Mister Aizawa," I said with the rest of the class, feeling anything but ready.

The final bell rang, and the other students prepared to leave the classroom. Gathering my stuff together, I got ready to join Mister Aizawa for afternoon training. Pulling my duffel bag out from under my desk, I made my way through the halls, until I reached the same outdoor field where we'd held the Quirk Assessment Test.

I stopped by the changing rooms, sticking my backpack and neatly folded uniform inside one of the compartments. Pulling out my bodysuit and boots, I quickly ran out the door, not bothering with the jumper. The last time I had, Mister Aizawa had grabbed the hoodie and threw me around with it. His point of not wearing anything loose came across very well.

Mister Aizawa was standing in the middle of the field waiting for me. Running up behind him, I smiled, barely out of breath. "I-I'm ready to start t-training!" I called.

"Good," Mister Aizawa grunted, turning. I spotted the wrapped paper package in his hands, and looked at it curiously. Mister Aizawa took the opportunity to chuck it at my face.

I barely managed to catch it, holding it against my chest and hoping it wasn't fragile. "W-what is it?" I asked, staring at Mister Aizawa with wide eyes.

The teacher looked at me like I was stupid. "Why don't you open it and find out?"

I blinked, then blushed in embarrassment. Hurriedly unwrapping the package, I gaped at the red scarf inside. It shined oddly in the light, clearly not made of cloth. Picking it up, and letting the paper fall to the floor, I held it in my hands, investigating my apparent new scarf.

"After your performance at the USJ two days ago, I got a heads up from the agency to start training you with this," Mister Aizawa explained. I looked up at him, starstruck. I was sure that my eyes were shining, and a convenient breeze tossed my braids into the air. "I'll use the next two weeks to train you to use it. You won't have it in the competition, but… if you're going to learn my fighting style, you might as well go all the way."

I absorbed this for a moment, before grinning so hard my cheeks hurt. "Th-thank you, Mister Aizawa! I won't let you down!"

Mister Aizawa just shrugged. "This upcoming competition isn't as big a deal for you as it is for the others. You already have a guaranteed apprenticeship, as long as you make it to the final stage, the agency won't care," he glanced at me, eyes sparking with dark humor. "So don't screw up."

I nodded, still smiling brightly. "You got it!" I cheered, wrapping the scarf around my neck. It was large enough to cover my shoulders and bottom half of my face. I clenched my fists, suddenly much more excited about the upcoming training session. "Let's do this!"

The next two weeks went by in a blur. Mister Aizawa had me drilling every day from dawn to dusk. I was lucky Missus Yukihime was so amenable about my late hours. My scarf had become my new constant companion, though luckily no one questioned it. I suppose my classmates wrote it off as a simple replacement. I didn't speak about my training to anyone, as per Mister Aizawa's instructions. I wasn't supposed to give away any aces, since my quirk had already been revealed (though I still had yet to let anyone know about the stored pain factor).

Over that time period, my fighting style also changed drastically. Using a capture weapon like my scarf required a lot of mobility and manuvering, especially since, unlike Mister Aizawa, I couldn't block quirks. I was currently more capable than most gymnasts.

"Hah… Hah… I-I'm done," I panted, hands on my hips. It took all of my willpower not to lean forward and block my airways. After running two miles straight without pause, I was exhausted. What kind of "warm-up exercise" was this?!

Standing in the center of the clay training field, Mister Aizawa held out his usual remote. With the click of a button, the ground opened up, and suddenly I was standing in front of a complex obstacle course. A climbing wall, mudpit, monkey bars, and twenty foot sheer drop extended out before me. I stared at the course in horror, eyes wide. Please no, please no, please no, I begged mentally.

"You'll run this course until you can complete it in three minutes," Mister Aizawa said unsympathetically, showing me the timer in his hands. "You'll do it as many times as necessary."

I blinked at him, then slumped in defeated. "I'm going to d-die," I whispered dramatically.

"Only if you break your neck on the drop," Mister Aizawa answered matter of factly. I flinched, sweating buckets at the thought. "I taught you how to land properly, so it shouldn't be a problem. If you die, it's your fault."

He's completely absolving himself of the blame, I realized fearfully. "Y-y-yes, Mister A-Aizawa!" I squeaked, darting off towards the obstacle course. I only left hours later, having run the course sixteen times before finally finishing.

Training with Mister Aizawa was incredibly effective though, as long as I survived it. I had never been in better shape - and now I could do backflips, frontflips, handstands, and backbends whenever I wanted. It was almost worth having to do the obstacle course again the next day.

Almost.

A week after the announcement, the entire class was still talking about the upcoming festival nonstop. Everyone was ridiculously hyped about the upcoming event, but to me it didn't really mean anything. As wonderfully educational as Mister Aizawa's training was, the festival was going to mean being on international television. I had considered this when applying, but having my face being broadcasted in multiple countries, watched by billions of people, was my worst nightmare.

Walking towards the lunch room with Ochako, Izuku, and Tenya, I wondered if the class realized that some of us would be forced to make fools of ourselves during this. Only one person could win the competition. Luckily, I only had to make the top forty-two, but hearing Tenya chatter on about doing his family's name honor and justice was disconcerting.

"I w-wonder why everyone is s-so determined," I said, catching my friends attentions. I looked up at the ceiling as I thought aloud. "Th-there's only one p-person w-who can w-win anyways, s-some of us w-will h-have to settle," Izuku's eyes widened, and he appeared to have an epiphany. I glanced at him curiously, but Ochako was already talking.

She held up her clenched fist, looking determined. "I want to win. If I didn't aim for the top, how could I have made it into Yuuei?" Her usually kind brown eyes were lit with an eerie light. I leaned back and shivered profusely. Ochako had a secondary personality that was loudly terrifying. I wasn't sure what scared me more, her boisterousness or her enthusiasm.

Izuku took this moment to ask, "Hey, Ochako? Why did you want to become a hero? I never had the chance to ask." Ochako blushed, scratching the back of her head sheepishly. She muttered something unintelligible, but Izuku somehow managed to translate. "For money?!" He repeated, looking stunned.

"Yeah, I guess, ultimately," Ochako confirmed. When all three of us stared at her in astoundment, she raised her hands to her cheeks, appearing very embarassed. "Man, sorry, I know it sounds lame, like I'm not being pure as a hero! Tenya and you are so determined and stuff, and I just-" she hid her face entirely.

Tenya waved his arms wildly. "Don't be sorry!" He assured her. "What on Earth is there not to admire about applying yourself towards a comfortable life?"

"Yeah…" Izuku agreed, mumbling to me, "though it is unexpected," I nodded heartily in agreement, readjusting my scarf when it fell down.

Ochako looked to the floor, still flustered. "I probably shouldn't be telling anyone about things like this, but…" she glanced around and leaned in, as if she was telling us a huge secret. The three of us leaned in as well. "I've been working at my family's construction company, but there's no real construction going on, so we're flat broke!"

I blinked in surprise. "C-construction? I suppose th-there wouldn't be any g-good j-jobs around now," All the population and city downsizing had eliminated the need for new houses. Demolition companies would probably be more financially sound.

"With a quirk like yours," Izuku said thoughtfully. "If you got permission to work anywhere, it'd be super economical!"

Ochako spun around, pointing at Izuku excitedly. "I KNOW RIGHT?! THAT'S WHAT I TOLD MY DAD!" She squealed, before pausing. "But… that's not really an option. Which is why," she closed her eyes and took a deep breath, and then stared Izuku, Tenya, and I down with determination. "I'm going to become a hero and earn money, without fail," she declared. "And I'm going to give my parents the easy life they deserve!"

Izuku stared at Ochako with wide eyes. Tenya burst out into cheers, clapping for Ochako's ambition to help her family. I couldn't help how my eyes misted over, and I turned away from my friends defensively, pulling my scarf up to hide my face. I wish I had a family to protect, I wish I could have Ochako's resolve to help her family, or Izuku's to hopes save people, or Tenya's dream of joining his brother. Everything I had done had been because of survival. The closest I had gotten to selflessness was the fight at the USJ, and even then my life had been on the line.

"Hey, Ichigo," I glanced over at Izuku, eyes still wet. "Why do you want to be a hero?"

I sighed heavily, turning away. I bit my lip and dug my nails into my palms, trying desperately to stop myself from crying again as old wounds reopened. "I-I w-w-want to b-be a h-hero f-for th-the kids who g-get forgotten," I said thickly. My voice sounded choked, so I took a deep breath and spoke more clearly. "It's p-probably similar t-to Ochako's goals, b-but I-I want t-to earn enough m-money t-to h-help the kids w-who end up in h-homes w-where they have n-no w-way out," I swallowed, remembering my own home. "I w-want t-to create a b-better option." I turned around to see Ochako, Izuku, and Tenya looking at me, silently stunned. I forced myself to smile, trying to pass off the emotional moment as a joke. "Or s-something l-like that anyways."

Izuku spoke first. "I-Ichigo, that's really-"

"INCREDIBLE!" Tenya roared, clapping his hands loudly. Ochako joined in, and the two began cheering loudly. "BRAVO! BRAVO! SO SELFLESS! SO COOL! TRULY YOU ARE AN INSPIRATION!" Ochako added her own celebratory words in between Tenya's shouts of encouragement.

I turned fire engine red, hiding my face behind my equally red scarf, until only my eyes peeked out. "Th-thanks guys," I stammered out. "B-but r-really, it's not all th-that cool, you know…"

Somewhere along the line, I saw a skeletal looking blonde man appear and tap Izuku on the shoulder. They quickly exchanged some words, before walking off together, using Tenya and Ochako's antics as a distraction. I watched them walk off suspiciously, unable to shake the feeling that the blonde man was someone I knew.

For a moment, I imagined his shaggy bangs standing up ontop of his head. I felt a chill run down my spine. All Might was super scary, there was no way that guy was him. That guy wasn't terrifying at all, he looked more like a corpse.

I turned my eyes back to Ochako and Tenya erasing the odd encounter from my mind. Izuku could talk to whoever he wanted after all, it wasn't my business to pry.